Falkirk FC chief George Craig to move on

Falkirk managing director George Craig will leave his present role within the club this summer.

It is understood he is a casualty of the financial struggle at the club and his role will be replaced by the new operational committee of volunteers.

The MD was unable to comment on his future this week, yet was still active in the post, representing the Bairns at Tuesday’s annual general meeting of the Scottish Football Association at Hampden.

However he was briefed on the proposed changes last week, according to sources within the club.

Mr Craig, who played a role in the ‘Back the Bairns’ campaign that saved the club when it entered administration, will remain in post serving notice over the summer.

And despite having football under its remit, the new ‘radical’ committee structure for running the club is not fully formed with pre-season training just ten days away.

Bairns chairman Martin Ritchie did not deny movements on the managing director’s position, nor confirm any, when speaking to Heraldsport this week.

The chairman would only state the club’s general position of review, and not on one specific case.

“The present position is we are looking at, and evaluating, various roles within the club and how they fit within the club’s new structure in the current financial climate.”

Mr Ritchie did, however, claim a “great response” had been met to the call for volunteers to come forward and help run the operational side of the club on the new committee that will take control of the day-to-day running of Falkirk FC.

An appeal for skilled volunteers on the club website attracted more than 40 notes of interest to positions aiming to change to way the club works.

But with than a fortnight to go before players return on June 20, the new ‘radical change’ committee will not be ready to take over the footballing side of the club . Discussions were still ongoing with 42 individuals according to the club chairman.

“Interviews are all being done for all these people who have come forward,” said Mr Ritchie.

“We’ve met a great response and high calibre of interest.

“We hope to have a structure in place to involve them all and incorporate all of their skill-sets in some form or another for the club’s benefit.

“Andy Thomson is currently working on setting up that structure and putting it into place.”

That is expected to take at least another fortnight by which time Steven Pressley’s men will be back at work and preparing for matches in Peterhead, Inverurie and Alloa.

The gratis-group management set-up was pitched with the ambition of creating unpaid roles for professionally trained individuals in areas like human resources, sales, accounting, media and communications and said to “appeal to talented, knowledgable and energetic individuals who relish a challenge.”

They will be headed by Andy Thomson who was invited, and admitted, onto the board in April. The management group will operate separately from the board of directors however, and its’ remit does not extend to corporate matters and budgeting which remains with the board.

Applications to join closed a fortnight ago.

The ‘radical’ change to the running of the club is just one major move within the Bairns who have lost 18 first-team players, Academy players and head of football Ross Wilson in recent months.

Talks to retain coach Lee Bullen are also ongoing in addition to finalising a deal for new recruit Darren Dods.